Despite its undying popularity in the world - especially in the United States - (harsh) noise in Poland is still perceived as a curiosity, a by-product of industrial culture or a bastard child of electronic music in general. In my opinion, the main reason behind the low interest in this particular genre of music, apart from its relatively radical form, is the fact that underground fanzines, music magazines and musicological publications alike pay little or no attention to its existence. Persistent ignorance of the traditional and electronic media on the existence of Polish artists who are actively touring and recording albums (often published by internationally acclaimed record labels) pushes the music into the very bottom of the artistic underground. In the following series of articles, I will provide you with brief information on these artists and try to elaborate on the origins of noise music in Poland. Many of the artists presented in this series of articles are not only actively contributing to the phenomenon which can be described as ‘the Polish noise scene’, but are also accomplished musicians who are very often recognized and acclaimed outside of Poland. I hope that by reading the series of articles, you will experience the appeal of the noise aesthetics and draw conclusions that will allow you to perceive the existence of the scene in a completely different manner.
The roots of the art of noise in Poland go deep into the early 80s of the previous century as this type of music has been developing in parallel with the global trends. One of the most notable groups which originated at the time was Szelest Spadajacych Papierków – the band started in the city of Gdansk and consisted of members of the notorious alternative performance group Totart . Their provocative, challenging shows which often involved active participation of the crowd strongly resembled the seemingly formless, chaotic and dissonant formula characteristic for noise artists. However, only after the formal reactivation of the group in 2008, their shows turned into typical noise performances. In the year 2009, a Polish label Impulsy Stetoskopu re-issued a collection of the band’s early recordings in a form of a 3 CD compilation titled “Trójmiejski Wiatr” . Judging the compositions contained in that album by noise music criteria, it became visible that almost all of them are apparently chaotic. In some cases, abstract sounds seem to only be a backdrop for absurd poems. Noise per se has definitely not been the sole focus of the group. All of the songs seem to have been composed in creative freedom, with absolutely no reference to the classical methods of composition and with a somewhat radical approach. Arguably, these exact features make up the basic components of the art of noise. The current incarnation of the band re-introduces the aforementioned features as the musicians renounced their classical instruments and focused on utilizing synthesizers and pedal effects instead. It should also be noted that the core of the Totart group as well as various bands which originated from it have their roots in Punk aesthetics which obviously involve the DIY phenomenon. Handmade instruments and home recordings published at the artist’s own expense were essential features of the movement.
Another group related to Totart was Der Dancinger Arsambl - a side project of Pawel Konnak and Zbigniew Sajnóg . Though the recordings contained on their debut cassette album titled: “Plac Wymiany Pozytywnej” could be categorized as industrial music rather than noise, the artists used primarily electronic sound devices. These devices indicate a connection between that short-lived project and noise artists who appeared in Poland several years later. Way down at the opposite end of Poland, Tomasz Twardawa was in bands such as Zilch, Ladne Kwiatki and set motion to his solo endeavors – Godzilla and the most widely recognized Genetic Transmission. Twardawa remains one of the most important and influential figures of the local (post-) industrial and noise underground. His artistic merits since the late 80s are so extensive that listing them would require a separate article. Within the context of this text however, it should be mentioned that apart from exploring the aesthetics of industrial music, Twardawa often experimented with sounds generated by electronic audio devices. Noise has frequently been the core element of his compositions. The artist has also repeatedly expressed his interest in works by artists such as Whitehouse, Merzbow and Masonna.
Another outfit active between the late 80s and early 90s which cannot be omitted is 27-29. The duo consisted of Joanna and Piotr Zaglewski, a married couple who at the same time were also members of another classic industrial act called Np. WAT. 27-29’s live performances were based on sounds of distorted crackles of vinyl LPs on top of which the Zaglewskis were shouting the lyrics of their songs. The style of their recordings could be described as Power Electronics although their music was not nearly as extreme. Similar to Szelest Spadajacych Papierków, the core of 27-29’s compositions were based on free improvisation and recycling of sounds. Unfortunately, the group has disappeared relatively quickly, leaving behind several limited edition cassettes. The year 1994 gave rise to a band called The Raport which consisted of two artists – Krzysztof Sitnik and Lukasz Pawlak. Their compositions were based on purely industrial, rhythmic and gritty sounds with many improvised, noisy passages. As expected, an experimental approach to sound, composition and improvisation were the basic elements of their works. In a few years, the duo turned into a well-known and respected industrial/electronic group called Nemezis.
Parallel to the start-up of The Raport, Bartek Kalinka began operations as one of the leading representatives of the noise movement in Poland. His first plunderphonic records released under the XV Parowek moniker were much different from his more recent, noisy works although they were based on experimentation and meticulous sound study. Kalinka is also one of the very first Polish artists who has consciously dropped the constraints of musical compositions and began experimenting with sound by exploring different textures of feedback and noise. More importantly, he was one of the first Polish artists who focused on noise per se. In his recordings, noise was not always a background or one of the elements of a composition, noise itself was very often his main focus as it became the fabric of his art. It should be noted that Kalinka’s works did not turn into more intense (harsh) noise until several years into his artistic career. When asked about XV Parowek in an interview, Sebastian Harmazy of the classic Polish harsh noise act Vilgoc stated that “at the time [late 90s/early 00s], Kalinka was generally recognized abroad, yet virtually unheard of in Poland”. It seems clear that this is due to his active participation in the global cassette trade network. Kalinka has mentioned that his interest in radical forms of sound art arose because of his direct correspondence with Koji Tano of MSBR. XV Parowek is still active in the Polish noise underground. He often collaborates with many artists, some of which are not related to noise and/or experimental music. He also runs his home-label and is the sole organizer of a series of noise music events titled Noise Waste.
The second half of the 90s can be defined as the moment when harsh noise was born in Poland. It was finally created deliberately, using methods typical for the genre, slowly drifting away from its industrial roots.
In the next section in regards to the genre of (harsh) noise in Poland, I focused on the period between the mid-90s until the year 2000. During this time an interesting phenomena occurred in the noise music underworld. Unfortunately, much of it remains undocumented, and some information is largely anecdotal. Fortunately, there are still people whodevote their time to provide a reliable archive of artistic endeavors. The most notable are the Requiem Records and Impulsy Stetoskopu labels. Thanks to them, the history remains alive.
According to all available sources, the 90s was a period of intensified prosperity of experimental music in Poland. During that decade, harsh noise (at that time often referred as Japanoise) was generally perceived as a separate genre of music in the international scene. In Japan, many bands and solo noise acts were actively recording and performing live.To name a few,The Gerogerigegege, Hanatarash, Masonna, Incapacitants, MSBR, Pain Jerk, Thirdorgan, Merzbow, Killer Bug, Government Alpha and our very own export artist - Zbigniew Karkowski. Thanks to the worldwide cassette trade network, many North American artists also came into play with their raw and gritty aesthetics, such as Black Leather Jesus, Death Squad, Cock ESP. Often enough, artists from distant parts of the globe began to publish collaborative works and/or split albums. In Europe (including Poland), noise music was more closely related to its industrial counterpart rather than following the psychedelic and abstract style of the innovative Japanese originators in the genre.
During that time - contrary to what one can imagine – Poland had a rich niche of experimental artists, who in some cases have already started to fall into the pit of harsh noise. It is worth mentioning several albums published in the period between 1993 and 1995 by Odd Records. The label has not only released cassettes of electronic-industrial-rock bands such as Düsseldorf or Schistosoma but have also carried albums which contained more radical experiments. One of which was titled“Experimental Evolution” by Collapse Bi who utilized noise in the majority of their compositions. For instance, their track titled Disagreement was basically a collage of distorted sounds and extreme noises.
At the same time in the city of Zielona Góra,,Krzysztof Wlodarski started to pursue his interest in industrial music by starting his own solo project called Desolation Zone in which he would often utilize various textures of noise. Not long after, another act was brought to life. Rafal Sadej started one of the most widely recognized (post) industrial acts in Poland called Moan. Although his music can be described in terms such as industrial and dark ambient, Sadej drew inspiration from many sources and often explored territories of noise (eg. sounds of radio interferences).
In 1997, Marcin Lojek started a power electronics/noise project called Mantichora. He was also running his own label Soulworm Editions (active until 2004, later re-established under the name New Nihilism which still exists today). Lojek continued to put out a series of compilations titled Noisy Germs which was initiated by Rafal Sadej of Moan. These compilations are particularly notable because they featured a variety of Polish and international noise artists (eg. Noisy Germs III featured Government Alpha, Mantichora, Vilgoc and MSBR).
At the same time Lukasz Szalankiewicz (also known as Zenial) got involved in a project called Palsecam. That interdisciplinary collective was particularly interesting because of the fact that it consisted of artists related to the so-called demo-scene . Palsecam’s live performances often involved multi-media installations; sound-wise they revolved around a broad spectrum of genres, including noise as well. As for Lukasz Szalankiewicz himself – you could easily dedicate a separate article to cover the extensive catalog of his artistic endeavors.
The year 1998 brought a turning point to the Polish noise Scene. Rafal Kochan published an issue of his zine titled Stetoskop which included a free copy of a split tape containing tracks of a new straight harsh noise project Vilgoc (by Sebastian Harmazy) and a side project of Tomasz Twardawa named Godzilla. That particular release just might have marked as the official birth of harsh noise in Poland. Vilgoc exists to this day and remains one of the most popular (if not the most popular) and generally respected noise artists in Poland. The style of his works evolved from straight harsh noise through heavily metaphorical, isolationist power electronics until recently. Harmazy turned to the harsh noise wall sub-genre which he explore’s currently. At the end of the 90s, Rafal Holubiuk brought to life Prisoner of Flesh, a heavy industrial/noise project. He debuted in 1999 with an album titled “I” which was released by Marcin Lojek’s Soulworm Editions.
The beginning of the year 2000 marks the moment when internet access began to rapidly spread in Poland. Increased access to the global digital network equaled increased access to information - that simple mechanism also heavily influenced the world of music and made it easier for music fans to access virtually unlimited resources. Also, after the year 2000, Poland witnessed another growing wave of new experimental and noise artists. You will learn more about them in the next part of the article.
At the turn of the century, the growth of the local experimental music scene has clearly accelerated. It might have been due to a number of factors, the major one being the evolution and wide availability of technology which resulted in a virtually unrestricted access to information and artistic influence coming from all over the world. During that period, personal computers and internet were no longer uncommon in Polish homes. Along with the spread of the internet, new distribution channels for art appeared, slowly replacing the traditional means. Many labels ceased to publish their catalogs physically and started to use consolidated digital files instead. Many music enthusiasts turned to new methods of communicating with each other – mailing lists (Usenet) and chatrooms (IRC) were commonly used. Internet users were also able to transfer media files directly between each other (peer-to-peer file-sharing). Global access to information has flourished, allowing people to find music they would not have been able to discover otherwise. The development of technology proved to be beneficial for artists as well – they could easily find professional or semi-professional technical knowledge related to sound production. Obviously, it is also worth to mention that new media formats were also widely available and fairly inexpensive. The underground music marked was literally flooded with countless home-burned CDRs. At the same time however, the breakthrough period between 2000 and 2001 is perceived by numerous artists and noise enthusiasts as a time when something was lost. The underground scene seemed to have changed forever.
With the benefits of new technologies available in the majority of Polish homes, Artur Mieczkowski and Bartlomiej Kondratowicz set up their own small record label called Free Eye. The label operated primarily via the internet and had only a few home-produced albums in its catalog. All of them came out in strictly limited editions. The initiative was related to the noise scene as Mieczkowski and Kondratowicz have released a short album by Spanking titled “Arabic Sperm on Your Face”. The album basically consisted of noisy compositions, especially when compared to other Free Eye releases although it was not nearly close to the most extreme harsh noise albums. Still, that album was often referred to as an ironic take on ‘Merzbowesque’ recordings. Unfortunately, the label only existed for a few years and disappeared along with Spanking.
In the year 2001 a new label has emerged. Beast of Prey started off as a dark ambient, industrial and neo-folk label although they have began to publish power electronics and harsh noise records. Beast of Prey to this day remains prolific, holding its positions as one of the most widely acclaimed Polish record labels. At the same time, Marcin Dymiter (previously a member of a punk band called Ewa Braun) released the debut album of his solo outfit Emiter. Although the project’s exact style is very difficult to categorize, it definitely has a clearly audible aspect of noise to it. In his recordings, Dymiter uses a wide range of raw and/or processed field recordings shaping them into gripping compositions with the use of various electronic audio devices.
Speaking of Emiter, it is difficult not to mention Krzysztof Topolski’s Arszyn as both artists often collaborate with each other on albums and during live performances. From the two, Arszyn tends to be more noisy and experimental. Still, similarly to Dymiter, Topolski relies on the noises generated by electronic and electro-acoustic devices. Both artists are currently on the forefront of the Polish experimental scene. Their works are basically mandatory, even for fans of more radical forms of noisy music. Along with the Millennium bug, Hubert Napiorski emerged with his solo endeavor Thaw (not to to be confused with the currently popular Polish black metal/noise band Thaw) and started his own home-label Astipalea. The project still exists, although it is not nearly as active as it used to be. On his albums, Napiorski utilized a number of sound sources and techniques – electronic and analog audio devices, field recordings as well as a variety of oriental instruments such as Tibetan singing bowls. Apart from Thaw, he was involved in many other experimental/noise projects which included: Igloodoom (w/ XV Parowek), ADTX (w/ Bartek Kalinka/XV Parowek, Dawid Chrapla/Antybiotix, Krzysztof Topolski/Arszyn), kitty_kit (solo instrumental act), djfeaturing (DJ).
For a brief time, Jakub Kryszczak was active on the local scene as Atak 1200. He has released two industrial/noise albums: “Destroyer” and “Mother Industria”. In general, being active for a couple of years and disappearing without a trace seemed to be the modus operandi of several artists. That was also the case with the experimental noise project Vion which debuted in 1999 with an album titled “Flashbacks” and ceased to exist after only five years.
In addition to Free Eye which was mentioned above, the early 00s saw another Polish label operating purely on the internet + CDRs combo. Simple Logic Records released a number of CDRs packaged in original cardboard boxes made of recycled paper. The label focused mainly on experimental noise although it has also released several harsh noise albums. Simple Logic catalog contained albums recorded by artists such as XV Parowek, Zenial (especially a very interesting hip-hop/digital noise mash-up titled “Hi-Pi”), the criminally underrated drone-noise Aleph (“Tasmy z dzwiekiem” , “Senniki Norymberskie” ). During his live performances, Aleph often played a radical, extreme harsh noise. The most demanding releases on the label included two albums by STOP, titled “Paindeck” and “Epo”. Simple Logic Records existed for several years between the year 2002 until 2007 and released over 40 albums by Polish and other artists abroad.
The early 2000s also witnessed a rise of fantastic experimental music festivals such as the first editions of Wroclaw Industrial Festival (2001) and Musica Genera (2002). Until 2003, several projects were actively performing live: Neurobot – an experimental band consisting of Jacek Staniszewski (aka Facial Index), Dominik Kowalczyk (Wolfram), Artur Kozdrowski and Maciej Sienkiewicz. In 2003, Jacek Lechwar brought to life his extremely intense, digital harsh noise project Antihuman. Lechwar was recording albums mainly for a net-label called Far From Showbiz and performed live on several occasions. The project ceased to exist in the year 2010.
In 2004, Lukasz Ciszak – an experimenting guitarist - opened his own home-label sqrt dealing with experimental, improvised an noise music which still operates today. In the same year, Tomasz Twardawa (Genetic Transmission), Dawid Chrapla (Antybiotix, Nojsens) and Rafal Sadej (Moan) formed an industrial super-group called Hated Bruit Kollektiv. Their debut album “All Beauty is Our Enemy” was released by Twardawa’s home-label Die Schöne Blumen Musik Werk which existed between 1998 and 2007.
The period between 2005 and 2012 saw a rise in the popularity of Japanese and North American harsh noise which also resulted in the appearance of numerous new noise outfits.
The period between the year 2005 and 2012 may be referred to as the adolescence of the Polish noise underground. It is particularly difficult to catalog and describe each of the artists involved in the movement as many of them appeared for a brief moment just to disappear without a trace after only a few months. The biggest wave of new noise outfits came between 2007 and 2009. That period was also the peak of popularity of noise which was reflected by the amount of live shows organized all over Poland (particularly in Cracow, Wroclaw and Warsaw). Popular series of noise events were appearing all over the place: Noise Devastation (Wroclaw, eight editions in total), Noise 4 Cash (Cracow, seven editions in total), Noise Waste (13th editions took place on January 17th of 2013). Noise artists were also invited over to perform at events related to different types of music, such as: Wroclaw Industrial Festival, Podwodny Wroclaw Bez Kontroli (In a small city of Antonin), Unsound (Cracow), Musica Genera (Szczecin, Warsaw) and others. At the same time, Polish noise-related websites began to appear.
While talking about that period, one cannot omit the appearance of several new home-labels which were focusing mainly on releasing limited editions of CDRs. Although in many cases many of the events were only temporary, they made it possible for many artists to step out of their bedroom studios and perform in front of an audience.
In the year 2005, three new record labels aimed at promoting experimental and noise music emerged on the domestic scene. Each of them was slightly different from the others in terms of the type of releases they dealt with and the overall mechanics of their operation. These three labels include Far From Showbiz, Audiotong (Cracow) and Monotype Records (Warsaw).
The first one focused entirely on home-recorded, niche works. That label has released debut albums of numerous noise acts such as Antihuman (Wroclaw) or Ironlung based in Lodz (digital, experimental noise which debuted in 2005 and still remains active). Far From Showbiz was significant in the history of the Polish noise scene mostly because it drew many artists from all over the country together, thus consolidating and reinforcing the harsh noise scene. The cooperation of the label owners and the artists often seemed like an on-going party with creative outcome – e.g. the very first Polish regular live noise event called Noise 4 Cash. Apart from experimental and harsh noise albums, the label has also released a considerable amount of albums from different genres (EBM, ambient, dark ambient, rock, 8-bit electronics). Most of the releases came out in a digital format (MP3), some were also available physically (CDR). Wojciech Konieczny who established the label, has also performed live harsh noise as Retro. At the same time, the undersigned joined the FFS team and started another iteration of his solo noise outfit called Sleep Sessions.
Audiotong was created by Lukasz Szalankiewicz (Zenial) and Marcin Barski. Their initiative was very much different from Far From Showbiz as it was much more serious and leaned towards the artistic/academic experimental music enthusiasts. They have been releasing albums in several formats: digital MP3 files, CDs as well as CDRs. Szalankiewicz and Barski were often organizing live shows for a number of harsh noise, power electronics, electro-acoustic, experimental and free-improvisational artists. Audiotong has released two parts of a compilation titled “Radical Poland” which contained collections of tracks recorded by many Polish noise artists.
The year 2005 saw a tide of new noise acts, apart from the ones mentioned above. Karol Wachowski started releasing power electronics as Brandkommando. Wachowski is currently one of the most prolific Polish artists and receives international recognition.
In Lodz, Maciej Ozog (Spear, also used to run a record label Ignis Projekt) and Pawel Cieslak started an experimental noise duo called Ben Zeen (they debuted in 2005 with a CD titled “Siersc” . Simultaneously, Ozog started a series of experimental/noise live events Poza Horyzont which hosted Polish as well as international artists. In Warsaw, three artists (including the owner of Monotype Records) started an experimental act Komora A . In Poznan, Hubert Winczyk records experimental noise under the Urinatorium moniker. In the same city, Roman Bromboszcz and Tomasz Misiak start their experimental, multi-media performance act Kaleka which is still active today. Cracow sees a rise of a new harsh noise act Scordatura. Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship hosts a new industrial/power electronics/noise act Sektor-X. Dawid Chrapla, apart from his works in collaborative projects, releases solo works as Nojsens.
The year 2006 brought another wave of noise acts such as Jesus is a Noise Commander (Cracow). The solo act started by Jakub Glinski was clearly inspired by absurd noise outfits like Cock ESP, Odal or Crank Sturgeon. Glinski almost always performs in various ridiculous, abstract costumes. It is important to note that for some time, he was the most active Polish noise act and often performed at events not even remotely related to the noise scene. At the same time, Konrad Materek (Kielce) started his solo endeavor Astma which soon became Rez Epo. Although Materek’s early work seemed more like a loosely improvised industrial music, Rez Epo was much more mature and slowly evolved into a psychedelic noise act inspired by artists such as Stimbox or Astro. At the time, his work was arguably the most original and unprecedented take on noise. Unfortunately, the artist went on a hiatus after a few years of successful performances in many Polish cities. Adam Mankowski of Insomnia (ambient) and Extreme Agony (doom/drone metal) started Limited Liability Sounds - an experimental noise act.
The next year saw a release of the debut album of a new trio Schmerz which consisted of Marcin Lojek (Mantichora, New Nihilism), Mikolaj Zentara (widely recognized for his outstanding black metal outfit Mgla or the lesser known Leichenhalle) and Hubert Kulisiewicz (Sujoy). “Old School Misanthropy” was based on the ‘traditional’ European power electronics sounds. Most of the tracks were quite simple structurally, mostly based on low synthesizer textures and distorted vocal lines. Shortly afterwards, the trio seemed to have disbanded. At the same time, Fryderyk Lisek (Poznan) started his own multi-media/digital glitch/experimental act Avabaf and the popular Beast of Prey label released a debut album of a digital harsh noise act Red Moth (Wroclaw) which has disappeared having played only a few live shows. Another new act which appeared in 2007 was Kill The Liver (debut demo titled “Real Fiction” came out on his Twice Nightly home-label). In Cracow, Retro and Jesus is a Noise Commander joined forces and formed a crazy collaborative duo Space Monkeys. Before they disbanded (or sobered up), they managed to record and release an album titled ”Drunk Noise” which came out on Australian net-label Smell The Stench.
Apart from many live events (at least once a month in different parts of Poland), the year 2008 brought a new wave of noise projects. Probably the most controversial one was Noise.inc started by a mainstream rock musician known as Glaca (a frontman of popular bands like Sweet Noise and My Riot). His debut album titled “the_clean_cut_blade” was available as a free download from the archive.org website. After the initial release, the project went on a hiatus. In Wroclaw, another industrial/power electronics project was born. Panic Bedroom consists of two members – Karol Ilow and Szymon Borodziuk. They have formally debuted with their 2011 release “Beasts of the End Times”, although they had been performing live for several years prior to the album. Konrad Grajner (of Jude, a classic Polish industrial metal band) started his solo industrial/noise act Blitz. In Lodz, the very first Polish harsh noise wall outfit - Selymes Viragszirom – comes to life. The artist behind the act, Tomasz Piotrowicz, also has numerous side-projects such as I Am a Slut and Self-Inflicted Violence, among others. In Warsaw, Marcin Klos starts a purely analog harsh noise act Michelada (he was also a member of a comedy noise duo Pornogrubas).
Near Czestochowa, Bartosz Zaskorski is working within the industrial/noise aesthetics as Wronghead (he also had a successful 8-bit electronics outfit Zilog). Not long afterwards, he decided to focus mainly on his new, psychedelic cut-up harsh noise project Annna. His compositions were particularly fast and they often contained absurd vocals. That project quickly became quite popular, even outside the noise underground. After over a year-long hiatus, Zaskorski released his debut, full-length album on Somnolent Shelter Records. Two other noise acts debuted as well: Azbezt – solo experimental noise based on the sound of a vintage synthesizer (Azbezt is still active today) and P.Rcl*Spn who based his noise works on the sound of a heavily processed electric guitar.
As far as publishing goes, two new CDR labels appeared. The first one was Listen to Something Different (started by the guy behind Azbezt) and Somnolent Shelter Records (stated by the undersigned). It is important to note that in the year 2008, Rafal Kochan decided to resuscitate his record label Impulsy Stetoskopu in which he releases new as well as archive works of many industrial artists. Kochan is also the author of world’s first encyclopedia of industrial music.
After the intense 2008, the development of the scene has noticeably subsided. There was much less live shows, and the turnout at the scarce events was considerably lower. Only two new acts appeared – analog harsh noise No.Thing (Zielona Gora) and industrial/noise multi-media trio Evening With Deaf (Szydlowiec). Luckily, both projects are particularly interesting and strongly recommended to all noise aficionados.
A year later, two collaborative acts were created – Rakiety Przeciwko Rakietom which consisted of Lubomir Grzelak (Dj Lutto Lento, Quodlibet64, Chlopomania) and Fryderyk Lisek (Avabaf). The second duo – Eyecons - was a collaboration between Rez Epo and Sleep Sessions. Both projects were active for a short time and went on a hiatus after several live shows. In 2009, Materek has also opened his own home CDR and tape label Chaosynod.
In 2010, an intriguing duo called Woda i Brud started to record power electronics/noise tracks and send them out as multi-media messages to random cellular numbers. Unfortunately, the project went on a hiatus after a brief period of activity. In 2011, two new collaborative acts appeared - Trauma Unit (Ironlung and Self-Inflicted Violence) and an ironic noise performance trio Handsome Heartbreakers (P.Rcl*Spn, Kill The Liver, Self-Inflicted Violence). Also, after over a year of scarce opportunities to perform live, many new shows appeared. The void left by the now non-existent regular noise events (Bez Kontroli, Noise 4 Cash, Noise Devastation and the short-lived Soundimage4experience) was filled by the yearly Sztuka Halasu organized by the members of Evening With Deaf in an old castle in their home-town of Szydlowiec. Irregular noise shows are also organized in Skarzysko-Kamienna. The owners of Monotype Records organize a regular event Strefa Monotype at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw. Bartek Kalinka (XV Parowek) continues his Noise Waste series of live events and Sergey Hannolainen of MAAAA started organizing his own mini-festival Noise and Punk. Noise enthusiasts with high stamina might be interested in participating in the two-day Make Some Noise grindcore/noise fest in Blonie or the multi-genre, two-day fest Defibrylator in Antonin.
Summing up the series of articles on Polish noise scene, I would like to point out the most important factors which make it utterly fascinating. The pure passion and devotion of all people involved in that niche make it possible to record albums, release them and organize live events. It is impossible to overestimate the virtues of all of the artists, organizers and label owners especially in light of the fact that noise is still widely perceived as a curiosity and a genre of music which requires neither skills nor work. Even though the scene usually remains unnoticed, the amount of events which take place in the small Polish noise underground are a proof that the community cannot be simply disregarded. In case you are interested in that particular genre of music, you might want to look into the local pit by becoming familiar with the achievements of particular artists or simply by participating in one of the live events.
I would like to thank all the people who made it possible for me to write the article down. Without your support, kindness, patience and willingness to share your knowledge, this text would never appear. My kind regards go to (in no particular order): Infamis (Beast of Prey) for encouraging me to work on the text and for the ongoing support, Lukasz Pawlak (Requiem Records/Nemezis) for his knowledge and willingness to share many archival records, Grzegorz Tyszkiewicz (Bocian Records/Marchlevski), Sebastian Harmazy (Vilgoc), Bartek Kalinka (XV Parowek), Marcin Lojek (Mantichora/New Nihilism/Ibsen Design/Xaoc Modular Devices/Soulworm Editions), Konrad Grajner (Blitz/Jude)and everyone I contacted with in order to verify the information. I would also like to thank Michael Ellingford (Areyfu) for his careful and patient support in the process of translation.